An excellent student in Greek and Latin, Herbert received one of three Westminster nominations to Trinity College at Cambridge University in 1609. In 1604, Herbert began attending the Westminster School in London. While at Oxford, Herbert's mother befriended John Donne, a writer whose metaphysical poetry would considerably influence Herbert's career as a poet. At the time, England was ruled by Queen Elizabeth I, who was overseeing both the beginnings of the British colonial empire as well as a golden age of drama, literature, and music. After the death of his father in 1596, Herbert's mother moved theįamily to Oxford so that she could supervise the education of her oldest son, Edward, who later became known for his philosophical writings. Works in Biographical and Historical ContextĮducated in England The fifth of ten children, George Herbert was born on April 3, 1593, into a family of political prominence in Montgomery, Wales. His best-known work, The Temple: Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations (1633), is admired as a profound exploration of humanity's relationship with God. Although considered a metaphysical poet, alongside John Donne and Andrew Marvell, Herbert avoided secular love lyrics in favor of sincere, holy worship. George Herbert was a seventeenth-century English poet best known for writing intensely devotional verse using simple, direct speech. The Temple: Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations (1633) Overview A Priest to the Temple or, The Country Parson His Character, and Rule of Holy Life (1632)

George herbert poems list